וַאֲנָשִׁ֣ים צַדִּיקִ֗ם הֵ֚מָּה יִשְׁפְּט֣וּ אֹֽותְהֶ֔ם מִשְׁפַּט֙ נֹֽאֲפֹ֔ות וּמִשְׁפַּ֖ט שֹׁפְכֹ֣ות דָּ֑ם כִּ֤י נֹֽאֲפֹת֙ הֵ֔נָּה וְדָ֖ם בִּֽידֵיהֶֽן׃ ס
And righteous men, they shall judge them with the judgment of adulteresses and with the judgment of women who shed blood, for adulteresses they are and blood is in their hands.
Morphology
- וַאֲנָשִׁים (va-ʾanashim) – Root: אנשׁ (ʾanash); Form: Conjunction + noun masculine plural; Translation: “And men”; Notes: Introduces the subject, contrasted with the women judged.
- צַדִּיקִם (tsaddiqim) – Root: צדק (tsadaq); Form: Adjective masculine plural; Translation: “righteous”; Notes: Qualifies the judges as morally upright.
- הֵמָּה (hemmah) – Root: הם (hem); Form: Independent pronoun masculine plural; Translation: “they”; Notes: Emphatic pronoun reinforcing the subject.
- יִשְׁפְּטוּ (yishpetu) – Root: שׁפט (shafat); Form: Qal imperfect 3rd masculine plural; Translation: “they shall judge”; Notes: Legal action carried out by the righteous men.
- אֹותְהֶם (ʾothem) – Root: את (ʾet); Form: Direct object marker + 3rd masculine plural suffix; Translation: “them”; Notes: Refers to the metaphorical women, Oholah and Oholibah.
- מִשְׁפַּט (mishpat) – Root: שׁפט (shafat); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “judgment”; Notes: Used twice to frame the type of legal verdict.
- נֹאֲפֹות (noʾafot) – Root: נאף (naʾaf); Form: Noun feminine plural; Translation: “adulteresses”; Notes: First group compared to the judged women.
- וּמִשְׁפַּט (u-mishpat) – Root: שׁפט (shafat); Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and judgment”; Notes: Parallel structure, reinforcing dual charges.
- שֹׁפְכֹות (shofekhot) – Root: שׁפך (shafakh); Form: Participle feminine plural Qal; Translation: “women who shed”; Notes: Continuous aspect, characterizing them as blood-shedders.
- דָּם (dam) – Root: דם (dam); Form: Noun masculine singular; Translation: “blood”; Notes: Central charge, symbol of violence and guilt.
- כִּי (ki) – Root: כי (ki); Form: Conjunction; Translation: “for”; Notes: Introduces the reason for their judgment.
- נֹאֲפֹות (noʾafot) – Root: נאף (naʾaf); Form: Noun feminine plural; Translation: “adulteresses”; Notes: Repetition underscores their chief crime.
- הֵנָּה (hennah) – Root: הן (hen); Form: Independent pronoun feminine plural; Translation: “they (feminine)”; Notes: Reinforces the identity of the condemned.
- וְדָם (ve-dam) – Root: דם (dam); Form: Conjunction + noun masculine singular; Translation: “and blood”; Notes: Connects with their guilt of violence.
- בִּידֵיהֶן (bi-yedehen) – Root: יד (yad); Form: Preposition ב + noun feminine dual construct + 3rd feminine plural suffix; Translation: “in their hands”; Notes: Stresses personal responsibility and direct guilt.